


I won't break, not now, not ever

by booksandanime



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Determination, M/M, Moving On, Regret, Strategies, learning that it's not the end, part how to deal with dense people, part volleyball
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-05
Updated: 2015-07-18
Packaged: 2018-03-29 04:08:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3881686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/booksandanime/pseuds/booksandanime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"A murder of crows might even be capable of killing a large eagle."<br/>Oikawa let these words sink in. looked calmly at Shiratorizawa's captain, and walked away.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I'm not broken, but I'm really sad, and mostly angry at stupid Ushijima, so comfort me Iwa-chan!

**Author's Note:**

> So, the title mostly explains it, but Oikawa is stronger than the title suggests, and he and Iwaizumi take turns comforting each other.
> 
> This was made during Chapter 148, at the scene where Oikawa talks to Ushijima. The first part (all the words Oikawa and Ushijima use to talk) belongs to the Haikyuu! manga by Furudate Haruichi, but the time when Oikawa starts talking to Iwaizumi was made by me.

"A word of advice, Oikawa. Stay the course." Ushijima said, as Oikawa was turning to leave.  
"You took a wrong turn." Ushijima continued. "There was a place where you could have displayed even more of your power, and yet, you you chose against it, all out of a worthless sense of pride."  
Ugh, can't this guy just shut up? Oikawa thought, annoyed.

"I should've gone to Shiratorizawa instead of Seijou,and that would have made everything ok? Is that what you're saying?" Oikawa asked, disgusted with the idea. "It's not as if any team is guaranteed to succeed, you know."  
"Here and now, at the very least," Ushijima said, causing Oikawa to turn around,  
"The strongest team is whichever I'm on, though?"

And it's the way he says it, with no trace of doubt in his voice, as if he was stating something he knew to be absolutely true, which causes Oikawa to laugh.  
"Ha! Your self confidence is just as laughable as always! "  
He thought for a while, then said, "A worthless sense of pride, huh? ...I guess it is."

"Listen up, Ushijima." Oikawa said, sure now of what he wants to say.  
"Not once have I considered my choice to be the wrong one. My volleyball career is far from over. You'd best never forget," And here Oikawa looks directly at Ushijima, "This worthless pride of mine."

"Oh, and another thing. If I'm the only one you're keeping an eye on, you'll find yourself gutted through unexpected means." Oikawa said, spreading his arms wide.  
"What is that supposed to mean?" Ushijia asked, confused.  
"My kouhai is not very bright, and is nowhere near my level yet, but," Oikawa said, remembering how Kageyama worked with his team mates in Karasuno, "even so, now that he's no longer alone, he's strong."

And he says the thing that he might not yet know to be true, but wants to believe so badly.

"A murder of crows might even be capable of killing a large eagle."  
Oikawa let these words sink in, looked calmly at Shiratorizawa's captain, and walked away.

And who knows? It just might.

* * *  
Outside the doorway, he found Iwaizumi waiting for him.  
"Worthless pride, huh?" Iwaizumi said.  
"Isn't that what you always tell me?" Oikawa said, smiling slightly.  
Iwaizumi just laughed; it was slightly coarse, but it was there.  
They began walking towards the bus.  
"So, you're ok?" Iwaizumi asked.  
They both knew what he was talking about.  
"Of course not, Iwa-chan. But," he said, turning around to face Iwaizumi, "I'm not broken this time."  
Iwaizumi looked surprised for awhile.  
"You're maturing well." Iwaizumi said,when he got his voice back.  
Oikawa laughed slightly. "Because of you, of course." he said.

Iwaizumi didn't answer that.  
Oikawa punched him on the shoulder. "I'm serious." he said.  
"I know you're blaming yourself for our loss, but you do know that I'd toss to you over and over again, right? Whether it's in front of Karasuno, or Shiratorizawa, or the world, I would."  
Iwaizumi gritted his teeth, and forced out, "The world? How can you do that? We lost, remember?"  
Oikawa sighed. "We still have college. I'm not giving up on volleyball just because of this. And, I trust that you won't either?"  
A pause.

Iwaizumi snorted, then quickly rubbed his eyes."Of course not, dumbass."  
"Good." It was exactly what Oikawa wanted to hear. 

He started walking again.  
"Hey, Tooru?" Iwaizumi said.  
Oikawa stiffened for a bit, then relaxed. "Yeah, Hajime?"  
"Thank you." Iwaizumi said, meaning it. "And, I'm proud of you."  
Oikawa turned around, his eyes filling up with tears, and his nose going runny.  
"Uwah, Iwa-chan!!" He said, and flung himself at Iwaizumi.  
"Oi, oi, hey! Where's all your confidence from before, huh?" Iwaizumi said, but he was crying too.  
"It's because of your words, stupid Iwa-chan! You said you were proud of me!" Oikawa sniffed.  
Iwaizumi laughed. "Well, I meant it."  
Oikawa just buried his face in Iwaizumi's jacket.  
"Ugh, Iwa-chan, are you trying to kill me?"  
"Hey, you're turning my jacket wet!"  
'Don't care!"  
"What do you mean you don't care, Trashkawa?"  
"How rude Iwa-chan!"

Iwaizumi sighed, then ruffled his hair.  
"It's ok, you know. You can cry here. I won't judge."  
Oikawa looked up at him, tears in plain sight. "I was supposed to be comforting you, you know! Don't try to pretend that you're ok too!"  
"You already did comfort me." Iwaizumi said, smiling. And, I'm working on being ok. Not now, but soon. But, I'm still thinking clear enough, and I can see that you're burdening everything on yourself now, aren't you? You aren't broken, you're nowhere near broken, but you're shaking, you're replaying those last moments in your head, and you're acting, no, being strong."  
Oikawa took shaky breaths, and hiccuped.  
"But," Iwaizumi said, wiping away the tears that were falling, "Let me comfort you now, before you have to be brave all over again, in front of the whole team this time. Let me do this at least, because I'm shaken too. And I'm selfish, and I want to be the one to comfort you, to give me some sense of stability, before I feel useless all over again."  
"But, Iwa-chan..." Oikawa said, turning his face to him, and looking at him sternly, but softly, "You're not useless. You mean so much to me. And you're not selfish, you're just trying to find something familiar to ground you. And, I want to be the one to do so."  
Iwaizumi pinches Oikawa's cheek slightly, then buries his head in Oikawa's hair. "Ok."  
And that's all it takes for them to cry in the hallway, not caring if anyone sees them, because in this moment they are part of something important, something that can either heal them or break them.  
For now, they're not sure which, but they're together, and that's all that matters.

* * *  
When they finally got back to the bus, everyone was waiting for them.  
Oikawa and Iwaizumi joined Matsukawa and Hanamaki at the front of the bus.  
"Thank you for playing with us." they said.  
When they got up, they saw that everyone was crying, even Kyoutani, tearing up while Watari hesitantly patted his back.  
"Thank you!" they replied.

"We had a good match today. I'm sorry if I wasn't able to live up to your expectations, but I know everyone here is blaming himself for something that they should or shouldn't have done." Oikawa began.  
Everyone nodded firmly, teeth clenched.  
"And so am I."

Oikawa takes a deep breath before continuing.  
"Regrets are inevitable, but they can't change what has already happened. We shouldn't look back on our mistakes as problems, but rather things that can be solved. So, let go of whatever you're feeling right now, and move on. Because we still have a future. One day, we will stand on that stage again. When, or if we will be on the same side, doesn't matter. What matters is how we'll get there. So, I expect to see all of you there. In that world, once more." Oikawa finished.

Silence.  
Then, applause.  
Everyone was standing up, moving around, hugging each other, crying, and just holding on.

"That was a good speech." Iwaizumi said, smiling his crooked grin. "Where did you get those deep words from?"  
"I made them myself Iwa-chan!" Oikawa pouted slightly.  
Iwaizumi chuckled, then gently slapped his head. "Yeah, I know. You did good."  
"You too." Oikawa said, smiling at him.

* * *

When everyone was done, Oikawa made one last announcement.  
"I'm treating everyone to ramen, so don't you dare refuse your captain!"  
"Osu!"

* * *  
The team's coach and adviser stand a little bit away from them, watching them.  
"Were you worried?" Nobuteru Irihata asked.  
"Hmm? Well, I would be lying if I said I wasn't, so yes." Sadayuki Mizoguchi replied.  
"They might still have doubts later, but I'm sure that they'll be fine." Irihata assured him.  
"Yeah. Because they're strong." Mizoguchi said, smiling proudly.  
"They're far from breaking."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:
> 
> I'm not sure if I should end it here, or make another chapter. What do you guys think?
> 
> (And I'm SO sorry if this was short or boring, I tried editing it until I couldn't think of another outcome, but if you want me to continue this, I'll focus on how each of them is affected by their defeat, and how they survive it, I swear. And I'll add in Karasuno somewhere, so be prepared for Hinata bowing numerous times, each of them feeling guilt, yet also euphoria, and pairs happening. Comment if you want to see Oikawa taunting Kageyama about his relationship with Hinata, but only because he can't make a move on Iwaizumi.)


	2. Hinata is oblivious, Kageyama is confused, and everyone else is amused

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Ok." Hinata got up, and his eyes were bright with determination.  
> He pointed a finger at Kageyama. "You promise, right?"  
> "Yes, I told you already!" Kageyama said, impatiently.  
> "Good." Hinata said. Then he grinned, a full on, _blinding_  
>  grin.  
> "I can't wait!"  
> Hinata immediately started cleaning up, humming softly to himself, seemingly oblivious to the destruction he had caused.
> 
> Hinata is oblivious to how much he affects Kageyama, Kageyama is confused, everyone is amused, Tsukishima is exasperated, but maybe because he doesn't know how to get through to Yamaguchi either?  
> (Yeah, these dorks are dense.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, since you guys apparently like this story, (I'm not as bad as I thought! Congrats me!), and because of Far_Fetched_Imagineer's comment, here is the second chapter. I focused more on two of Karasuno's parings this time, KageHina and TsukkiYama. Hope you guys like it!
> 
> (Oh, and I know that Karasuno immediately gets into the match with Shiratorizawa, but I'm trying to make a setting where the match is on Monday, and the day that Karasuno won against Aoba Jousai is Friday. Hope it's ok with you guys!)

In Karasuno, meanwhile, they were rejoicing. The whole team could barely contain their energy, and who was stopping them? They had actually beaten Aoba Jousai, after all. Tanaka and Nishinoya were jumping up and down, whooping, and just generally making a lot of noise. Nishinoya would also compliment Asahi a lot, making him generally flustered. Ennoshita was talking with Narita and Kinoshita, and laughing. Tsukishima was smiling more often, (which was a weird thing to get used to for most of the team, but Yamaguchi was welcoming it). Daiichi and Sugawara were going over their match, where they went wrong, and which attacks were the best. Shimzu and Yachi were talking with Coach Ukai and the team's adviser, Takeda, about the different plays of Aoba Jousai. The noise was incredible, but stopped when they heard the oddball duo arguing. (Kageyama and Hinata arguing was a normal thing by now, maybe even routine, but it was what they were arguing _about_  
that made all of the team stop and look.)

"Oy, Hinata, you should stop for now, you're barely on your feet." Kageyama said, holding a volleyball which Hinata stared hard at.  
"One more! I can still do it!' Hinata protested loudly.  
Kageyama wasn't really a patient person, or a sensible one, so instead of opting to start cleaning up, he threw the volleyball at Hinata.  
"Ow!!" Hinata yelled.  
"Dumbass, I'm trying to be considerate here! We still have a match on Monday, and you can't just go hurting your body! We can always practice tomorrow morning!" Kageyama growled.  
Hinata stared at Kageyama, while massaging his head.

(Everyone wondered if now would be the right time to step in and stop Hinata from arguing further.)

"Tomorrow? You'll practice with me?" He said.

(Wait. Maybe this will end well.)

"Of course, dumbass. And the day after that." Kageyama replied.  
"The whole day and night?" Hinata persisted.  
"Just until 9, dumbass, you need to sleep too."  
Hinata nodded, as if seeing the wisdom in Kageyama's words.  
"Ok." Hinata got up, and his eyes were bright with determination.  
He pointed a finger at Kageyama. "You promise, right?"  
"Yes, I told you already!" Kageyama said, impatiently.  
"Good." Hinata said. Then he grinned, a full on, _blinding_  
grin.  
"I can't wait!"

Hinata immediately started cleaning up, humming softly to himself, seemingly oblivious to the destruction he had caused.  
Kageyama was frozen in his spot, wondering why that dumbass Hinata's grin made his face go warm, and his heart to beat loudly.  
It was just like when he exerted himself too much with volleyball, but this had nothing to do with volleyball.  
Right?  
This was caused by that dumbass Hinata...  
and so, he applied the solution that usually worked when it came to Hinata.

He threw a volleyball at him.

"OW! What the heck was that for, stupid Kageyama?" Hinata asked, rubbing his head.  
"Nothing." Kageyama said, though his annoyance was clear on the face that he was making.  
"Hey, hey, don't get annoyed with me, you were the one who threw a volleyball at me! It hurts!" Hinata wailed.  
"It was your fault." Kageyama insisted, stubbornly.

Meanwhile, the whole team just watched them, and the reaction ranged from amusement to exasperation.  
Tsukishima was the only one exasperated of course.  
"Hey, Sugawara, does the King really not get it?" He asked, voice low.  
"Well, it takes some time for some people to get it, and I'm sure Kageyama will realize it in time. Hinata too, of course, though I can't say when." Sugawara answered, truthfully.  
"Just don't-"

"Hey, how oblivious can you guys get?" Nishinoya called to them.  
Everyone froze.  
"Yeah, I mean, don't you get it? I'm so sure that you guys are SO IN-" Tanaka sang.  
Daiichi put a hand on each of their shoulders, and smiled.  
"Don't you even think of continuing that sentence. And no "helping" them to figure out their feelings for each other, got it?" He said in a low voice.  
Both boys gulped.  
"Osu!'

* * *  
After the clean up, (which fell to Nishinoya and Tanaka), Coach Ukai told them that they were going out for ramen.  
"It was Takeda's idea." He said, as everyone cheered.  
"Thank you!" They said, bowing.  
"Ah, don't thank me, it's the least I can do for you guys after winning against one of the top teams in the prefecture!" Takeda said, waving his hands in an effort to stop everone from bowing.  
"But you helped the team to do that. So, just accept our thanks." Coach Ukai said, grinning.  
Takeda nodded, then bowed to the team too.  
When they got up, Coach Ukai said, "It's on me tonight, so choose whatever you guys want!"  
"OSU!"

* * *  
"Hey, hey, Daiichi said that we can't help them in figuring out their feelings, right? Well, what if we just make them get together?"  
"How, Ryuu?"  
"How about sheer force of will?"  
"Woah, you're so cool, Ryuu! Do you think it'll work?"  
"Of course it will! We just have to be sneaky about it!"  
"Ooh, ok!"  
As Nishinoya and Tanaka plotted at the back of the bus, Tsukishima being near them tskked.  
They immediately looked at the aisle across from them.  
"What, you wanna fight?" They whispered loudly, fists up.  
"No. I'm just thinking about what Daiichi would do, when he hears about what you guys are planning to do." Tsukishima said, amusedly.  
Both of them paled.  
"He won't catch us!"  
"Yeah, right." Tsukishima rolled his eyes, and went back to listening to his music.  
"He won't..right, Ryuu?"  
"R-right, Noya!"

Tsukishima rolled his eyes, then looked at Yamaguchi, who was sleeping.  
"What about you? What kind of strategy would work with you?" He whispered softly.  
Yamaguchi snorted and his head fell on Tsukishima's shoulder. He mumbled in his sleep, "Tsukki."  
Tsukishima sighed, then ruffled his hair.  
"Well, it didn't hurt to ask."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, how was it? Please comment if you want me to change stuff, if you have insights, or if you just want to talk about the story so far. =)


	3. When chaos calls, the moms answer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, back to the question...  
> How on earth did someone convince a dense, oblivious idiot that they liked them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, 3 chapters so far!  
> I can't thank you guys enough for sticking to this story. I promise I'll put lots of pairings in this thing, before it ends. =)  
> (And don't worry, I still remember what the moral to this story is. Your favorite dorks will have lots of important moving on moments.)
> 
> Btw, Happy Mothers Day! =D

Meanwhile, in the middle of the bus, Hinata was fast asleep, while Kageyama was wide awake.  
Thinking.  
Kageyama, contrary to popular belief, wasn't an idiot.  
He could solve things when he was motivated, or when he was really thinking about it.  
He knew what this feeling was; He noticed it when he was younger, but that time he was just a witness.

* * *  
Kageyama never knew two people so alike and yet so different.  
Oikawa-san was sensitive, got different moods easily, and basically hated his guts.  
Iwaizumi-san was kind, helpful, and always tried to answer his questions.  
Kageyama wondered how they managed to be the best of friends with these different qualities.  
Wouldn't they just clash?  
But they balanced each other out.  
Whenever Oikawa would get his moods, and no one would know what to do, Iwaizumi was there. Either just calling him a dumbass, or hitting him, he managed to reassure him anyway.  
And then there was that time....

 

 _Oikawa, dark eyes flashing, about to hit him, Kageyama frozen to the spot, and then...em >_  
The punch never came.  
It never came because Iwaizumi saved him.  
Or, to be fair, he saved both of them.  
Kageyama was dismissed early, but he stayed in the storage closet for a while, trying to calm down.  
And he overheard them talking, and the part that stayed most memorably was Iwaizumi saying, "Do you think you're fighting by yourself?! You've got to be kidding, you dumbass! If you think how you're doing equals how the team will do, I'll punch you!...There's no one on our team who can beat Ushijima one-on-one! However, there are six players on the volleyball court! Even if our opponent's some genius first-year or Ushijima, the team with the better six is stronger, you dumbass!"  
And then Oikawa saying that, at that moment, he felt _invincible._  
* * *  
That time, Kageyama wondered how someone could affect another person that much.  
But, looking down at the orange head beside him, he didn't have to think further.  
The only thing left for Kageyama to do was to tell the dumbass how he felt, obviously.  
How he could do that though, was a different question.

Looking back, he suddenly found that Oikawa-san's behavior when he was around Iwaizumi (taunting, provoking, blushing, stammering, being clingy), made sense.  
Though, even if Oikawa had matured over the years, shown when Iwaizumi was about to break down from Karasuno defeating them, (Kageyama still cringed at the look in Iwaizumi's eyes that time), he didn't think that their relationship had changed much.  
He couldn't blame Oikawa for that, of course, because the transition from childhood friends to lovers was probably anything, but a smooth one. Especially if you weren't sure that the other felt the same way.

So, back to the question...  
How on earth did someone convince a dense, oblivious idiot that they liked them?

* * *  
Sugawara noticed the air between Kageyama and Tsukishima change. Like they were thinking about something.  
It wasn't too hard wondering what that something was, as they were both looking at their seat mates, as if contemplating them.  
Sugawara grinned.  
Daiichi noticed this, and looked in the direction of what Sugawara was looking at.  
"Do you think they're gonna be all right?" Daiichi asked, nervously.  
"Of course. You just have to give them some time. You can't rush stuff like this." Sugawara said, smiling.  
_Then, can you rush stuff like us?_  
was what Daiichi was tempted to say, but didn't.  
Instead, he just nodded.  
"You're the expert on this." Daiichi said, turning to look at them again.  
Sugawara's smile became softer. "Of course I am, Daiichi."  
And if Daiichi heard something different in Sugawara's voice, he was too nervous to notice.

* * *

Finally, they arrived at the ramen restaurant they had chosen.  
It was a little fancier than the average store, but they were excited.  
They quickly woke up the sleeping ones (namely Hinata and Yamaguchi), pulled apart the scheming ones (Tanaka and Nishinoya), and went down from the bus.

Only to meet the entire team of Aoba Jousai there. The tension was palpable, to say the least. 

Kyoutani looked like he wanted to pick a fight, (Tanaka was restraining himself from giving him what he wanted), Hanamaki and Matsukawa were just standing awkwardly off to the side, (Just like Ennoshita, Narita and Kinoshita), Kunimi and Kindaichi were awkwardly stuck holding hands, Watari was staring at Nishinoya (Who was torn between feeling intimidated or nervous), Yahaba and Asahi were just staring at the ground, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were hanging slightly away on the side, Hinata was frozen stiff, Kageyama was looking between Hinata and Oikawa, Oikawa was just glaring, thinking of how Iwaizumi would deal with the team that just beat them, Daiichi wondering how Sugawara would feel about this. The two people in question sighed, then dealt with the situation with the appropriate response. 

Iwaizumi slightly punched Oikawa on the arm, earning a yelp of surprise from the captain. Meanwhile, Sugawara bumped into Daiichi a bit too roughly, earning the same yelp of surprise from him.  
"What was that for?" Both captains asked, rubbing their sore spots.  
"Come on, Oikawa, chill, I'm ok." Iwaizumi said, rolling his eyes, just as Sugawara was saying to Daiichi, "Come on, were you actually wondering what I would do? You've got to be kidding, right?"  
"But-" Both captains protested.  
Their respective vice captains sighed.  
"Well, I have to be honest, I didn't really expect to see you guys here." Iwaizumi said, rubbing his neck.  
"Yeah, me too." Sugawara said, having the grace to look sheepish.  
He paused. "I want you to know that we don't have any hard feelings. It wasn't your fault that we lost, you were just the stronger set this time. But," Iwaizumi continued.  
"The next time we meet, we'll beat you." 

Aoba Jousai grinned, and suddenly the tension was gone.  


"We accept that challenge." Sugawara replied smoothly. Karasuno responded with the same enthusiasm.  
"All right!" 

"Wow, Iwa-chan, you're growing up so fast!" Oikawa said, wiping away a fake tear.  
Iwaizumi punched him harder this time.  
"Geez, idiot, I only told them what you told us." He said, smiling fondly at him.  
Oikawa stopped, then turned red, and whipped his head away. "Well, o-of course! I mean, I am the captain after all!"  
Iwaizumi laughed. "Yeah, I know."  
Oikawa chanced a look at him, and smiled back at him. 

Sugawara turned around to look at Daiichi. "Um, I-I." Daiichi stuttered.  
Sugawara just shook his head. "It's ok, Daiichi. But, I wish you would stop thinking of me when situations like that happen. I'm not that fragile, geez!" Sugawara said, with a soft eye roll.  
"I know. I'm sorry, Sugawara. You're right, I have complete trust in you." Daiichi said, nervously, but meaning what he said.  
"I should hope so!" Sugawa retorted, but he was smiling. 

"Well," Daiichi began. 

"Let's go in already!" Oikawa finished.  


Cheers, and stampeding to get in first. "Hey, you're pushing!"  
"You're in my way!"  
"Just enter normally, idiots!"  
"Come on, are you that excited to be treated by me, the great Oikawa Tooru?"  
"Everyone, if you don't enter normally, you're gonna do 50 running laps next practice time!"  
"You heard the captain!"  
"Osu!" 


	4. Ask a question, get a death match in return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "How did this happen, again?" Daiichi asked.  
> "Hinata asked a question, remember?" Tsukishima said, annoyed.  
> "Well, hey, there was no harm in asking!" Hinata said, angrily.  
> "You asked a ridiculous question, dumbass." Kageyama said, bluntly.  
> "Shut up, Bakageyama!" Hinata said, pouting at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because of TaliaMamane's really nice comment, here's the next chapter! Thanks so much guys for reading this! =D  
> (Btw, I really like the idea of Iwaizumi and Sugawara being the team's moms, so that's why I put a lot of their moments like that. Sorry. XD )
> 
> I'm sorry if this chapter was boring, I wasn't sure how Aoba Jousai and Karasuno would manage to interact, but the next chapter will be better! So, please just satisfy yourselves with this boring chapter for now.   
> *offers chapter, then runs away

Finally, they were able to enter the restaurant, huffing and panting.  
Karasuno immediately dashed to the nearest available table, while Aoba Jousai got the second nearest, leaving their vice captains holding back the captains, making sure that they didn't run off after their team for different reasons. (Iwaizumi holding back Oikawa because the captain would just join his team, and leave him, while Sugawara was holding Daiichi back, because the captain was going to run after his team, and explode.)  
"NOW," Both of them said, smiling slightly dangerous smiles, "You'll stay here, and fix everything with the kind people who _actually_  
let us eat here. Don't even think of running from this."  
Both captains swallowed, nervously. "Of course!"  
Sugawara sighed, while Iwaizumi just punched Oikawa.  
"Just go, already, dumbass." Iwaizumi said, then pushed Oikawa forward, while Sugawara nudged Daiichi, making him do the same.

"Do you think we can trust them alone?" Sugawara asked, nervously.  
"Well, it probably won't end well." Iwaizumi said, bluntly.

Oikawa and Daiichi were currently giving different responses to the lady holding a menu.  
Oikawa was smiling his usual (fake) charming grin, while Daiichi was smiling normally, though he was fidgeting. Sugawara was better suited for these kinds of things, he knew. And leaving him with Oikawa, the lady killer? _Harsh._  
"Sorry about that." Oikawa said, rubbing the back of his head and looking sheepish.  
"We should have behaved better. I'm sorry." Daiichi said, bowing.  
The lady was currently torn between trying not to faint from Oikawa's (fake) grin, and trying to assure Daiichi that it was ok.

Iwaizumi and Sugawara watched, amusedly.   
"You left him with Oikawa on purpose, didn't you?" Iwaizumi asked.  
Sugawara shrugged. "Well, maybe he would get some tips from Oikawa on how to speak more."  
Iwaizumi barked a short laugh. "Yeah, if you want Daiichi to turn into a player."  
"I doubt that would happen." Sugawara said, smiling.  
"We should probably help out now. I pity the lady who has to deal with Oikawa." Iwaizumi said.  
"I pity Daiichi. He's really nervous by now. At least he stood up, again." Sugawara said.  
"I honestly prefer Daiichi's humbleness from Oikawa's outright flirting." Iwaizumi said, rolling his eyes.  
"But you'd help Oikawa anyway, wouldn't you?" Sugawara asked.  
Iwaizumi was startled, and looked at Sugawara in surprise. He was looking at the scene again, and Iwaizumi saw something else in Sugawara's smile. Sympathy? Wait, no, maybe it was _empathy?_  
Iwaizumi turned back to the scene too, and stared as the lady had finally fainted from Oikawa's antics, and Daiichi had started arguing with Oikawa, about how it was his fault that they had to apologize _yet again_  
to the staff, and said, "Well, of course I would."

* * *  
Sugawara and Iwaizumi took pity on their (hopeless) captains, and took over.   
Luckily, the staff was very understanding, and assured them that it was ok.  
With one last final apology, they bowed, and went to their respective teams.

Hinata was talking animatedly to Yahaba and Kyoutani, with Kageyama watching over him, making sure that he wouldn't do or say anything stupid. Watari was talking to Yamaguchi excitedly about his jump float serves, with Tsukishima sitting next to him, looking disinterested. Kindaichi and Kunimi were talking with Ennoshita, Narita, and Kinoshita about spikes and blocks, respectively, and Hanamaki and Matsukawa were talking with Tanaka and Nishinoya, occasionally exchanging something that looked like money? Asahi was just sitting down, nervously looking at Tanaka and Nishinoya. Mizoguchi and Irihata were talking to Ukai and Takeda, while Kiyoko and Yachi sat near them.

Iwaizumi and Sugawara raised their eyebrows, then dealt with the things immediately needing their attention.  
"Nishinoya, Tanaka." Sugawara started, looking down at them with eyebrows knitted together, "What are you doing?"  
They gulped, and froze. "Um, just bets, Sugawara-san."  
"On?" Sugawara asked.  
Tanaka nervously explained. When it was done, Sugawara chided the four of them on the bet taking, but then whispered to Tanaka and Nishinoya something that made both of them drop their jaws.  
They quickly nodded, and Sugawara sat down at an empty seat.

After dealing with Oikawa, Iwaizumi sat down too.

The two teams had currently set the two tables together, so Daiichi sat at the front of the table, with Sugawara on his right, and Asahi on his left. Next to Asahi was Nishinoya, and next to him was Tanaka. Then, it was Hanamaki and Matsukawa, then Kindaichi and Kunimi, then Iwaizumi, leaving Oikawa to sit at the opposite end of the table. Then, Ennoshita, Narita, Kinoshita, then Yahaba, and Kyoutani. Watari was next to Yamaguchi and Tsukishima, who was next to Hinata and Kageyama.   
Kiyoko and Yachi, along with the two team's coaches had gone to another table, much to the chagrin of both Tanaka and Nishinoya.

Both teams ordered, then silence ensued.

"So.." Hinata began. "What's up with your team, anyway?"

* * *  
"How did this happen, again?" Daiichi asked.  
"Hinata asked a question, remember?" Tsukishima said, annoyed.  
"Well, hey, there was no harm in asking!" Hinata said, angrily.  
"You asked a ridiculous question, dumbass." Kageyama said, bluntly.  
"Shut up, Bakageyama!" Hinata said, pouting at him.

The two teams were currently at Karasuno's gym, and Aoba Jousai was currently beating them up, at yet another set.  
This wasn't an official game, and no body was counting how many sets they had just done, and who cared, really?

"You had to ask for tips from them." Kageyama said, rolling his eyes.  
"I just wanted to know how they could adapt to our moves, so easily!" Hinata protested. "Besides, this could be good practice for the upcoming match against Shiratorizawa!"  
"They're beating us up, Hinata!" Kageyama growled.  
"Well, we took some sets from them too! Are you just gonna give up now?" Hinata asked.   
"Of course not!" Kageyama retorted.  
"Then, let's go out there and play our best!" Hinata said.  
"How can we? You got us benched, because you were already swaying on your feet!" Kageyama said, angrily.  
"Why did you follow me, then? We didn't need a player switch!" Hinata said, equally angrily.  
Kageyama was silent at that. It was true, Sugawara was more than capable of taking care of Hinata, but Kageyama had wanted to take care of the dumbass himself.  
Luckily, Sugawara had understood, judging by the soft look he gave him when they exchanged their numbers.

"Look, dumbass,we need each of our players in shape for the game, including you. So, just rest first, then when you're better, we can start with the counter attack."  
"Besides," Kageyama added, "Sugawarasan can read Aoba Jousai's players as well as they do us."  
Hinata just pouted, then nodded.  
"Of course! Sugawara-san is the best! He's nicer than you too!" Hinata said, swinging his feet back and forth.  
Kageyama was just about to retort, when Hinata added, "But your sets are more fun to spike."

That silenced Kageyama, making Hinata look up at him. "Hey, are you ok? Your face is red. Do you have a fever or something?"  
"Sh-shut up, dumbass! Just focus on the game!" Kageyama said, covering his face with his hand.  
Hinata shrugged. "Fine. Take care of yourself, though, because when I go back, I expect to have lots of tosses thrown my way!"  
Kageyama grabbed Hinata's head, roughly, earning a yelp of pain.  
He let go, then sighed. "Of course, dumbass."

* * *  
Tsukishima saw the scene, and scoffed.  
"What is it, Tsukki?" Yamauchi asked, his eyes focused on the ball that Kunimi was about to serve.  
"Nothing. The King and his Queen are quite comfortable over there." Tsukishima remarked, as the ball went over to their side.  
Nishinoya received it, and it went to Sugawara.  
"Come on, Tsukki, I'm sure they really want to play too." Yamaguchi said, as Sugawara set the ball to Asahi, earning them a point.  
Tsukishima looked at Yamaguchi, sweat pouring down his face, his breath coming in short pants, and all he wanted to do was lick the sweat off him.

Then, he shook his head.  
"Of course they do. They deserved the benching, though." Tsukishima said, remembering how Hinata had almost tripped over his own feet, trying to spike a ball that was out of bounds.  
Yamaguchi just laughed, then rubbed his face with his sleeve.  
"Your turn to serve." was all he said.  
Tsukishima nodded, and took his position.  
And served.

* * *  
Later, after who-knows-how-many-hours, both teams were exhausted, barely on their feet. They decided to sleep in the gym, because it was basically Karasuno who had initiated the match.  
Ukai and Takeda brought out sleeping mats for the players, while the coaches and female managers left to sleep in Coach Ukai's apartment.   
Everyone was too tired, most falling asleep where they stood, and the lucky ones actually making it to their mats, before plopping down unceremoniously on them.  
Everyone was a tangle of arms and legs, drool on their chins, and eyes tightly shut.

Coach Ukai closed the door, and thanked Mizoguchi for allowing them to practice.  
The coach chuckled, and said that it was nothing.  
"I'm sure it meant a lot to our team that they were able to practice with Aoba Jousai, so thank you." Coach Ukai said sincerly.  
Coach Mizoguchi just nodded this time. "Of course."  
"Although," Takeda said, worriedly, "Will they be ok, like that? Most of them are practically sleeping on top of others."  
Coach Mizoguchi smirked. "It's gonna be fine. They brought that on themselves anyway."

So, they left the poor teams completely exhausted, and completely asleep.  
And silent.

But not for long.


	5. Oikawa is the senpai who gets burned by his kouhai

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just then, Kageyama remembered something.  
> "Um, Oikawa-san." He said, in a low voice.  
> "Hmm? What is it, Tobio-chan?" Oikawa asked, slightly wary.  
> "Have you-I mean, do you-well," Kageyama started.  
> "Just say it." Oikawa said, impatiently.  
> "Um, have you and Iwaizumi-san made any progress?" Kageyama asked.  
> If Oikawa had been drinking something, he would have spit it out.  
> Though, his face made up for the lack of drink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that I haven't updated in 5 days... ok, there's really no excuse.  
> I had writer's block.  
> I'm so so so so sorry!!  
> Please accept this chapter as a peace offering.
> 
> Notes:  
> 1\. Basically, everyone's an oblivious idiot (Kageyama, Oikawa, and Tsukishima most of all), and there are bets placed.  
> 2\. Nishinoya has blackmail material now. I'll let you know what it is in the following chapters. =)  
> 3\. Oikawa thinks he's so cool, but Kageyama completely "burns" his senpai. XD (Though he doesn't mean to.)  
> 4\. "Burned" is just a word for disrespecting someone. =)

Nishinoya woke up at the early morning time of 4:00 A.M.  
He groaned. Why, _why_  
had he woken up at this _ungodly_  
hour?  
Then he looked around him and grinned.  
Yup, this was why.

* * *  
Everyone else woke up at the appropriate time for (foolish, stupid, overexerting) young boys, which was 11:00.  
They each felt better after waking up, though some still had some pains that refused to go away.  
Namely, Hinata and Oikawa.  
"Trashkawa, how could you hurt your shoulder like that? It's because you were overexerting yourself again!" Iwaizumi said, crossly.  
Kageyama just punched Hinata and called him a dumbass.  
"But Iwa-chan-" Oikawa began.  
"Just shut up. No more practicing. And, just exercise your shoulder. I'll go home with you to make sure you take care of it." Iwaizumi said.  
Oikawa stopped, then grinned coyly.  
"Home already, Iwa-chan? My, aren't you excited!"  
Oikawa received a punch in his unhurt shoulder for that, and no reply.

Kageyama was currently shouting with Hinata, and was far from suggesting that he just stay over at his house.  
So, Hinata did it for him.  
"Ugh, if you're just going to shout at me to put ice on it, why don't you just come over?" Hinata grumbled.  
Kageyama stopped mid-sentence.  
When he didn't answer, Hinata looked at him.  
"Hey, what's up? You stopped shouting suddenly. You ok?"  
_How the hell can this dumbass say such embarrasing things like that and still be dense?_  
was what Kageyama was thinking.

Unfortunately, Tsukishima noticed this and sniggered.  
"What's up King? Did Hinata make you speechless?" He mocked.  
Yamaguchi noticed the scene and laughed too.  
"Wow, who'd have thought, huh Tsukki?"  
"I mean, if just a mention of a trip to a _friend's_  
house can make you speechless, Hinata's gonna kill you soon enough." Tsukishima continued.  
Kageyama growled. "Just shut up, Tsukishima! Who cares what you think?"  
"I could name a few, really, but you probably just wanna go back to Hinata now." Tsukishima smirked.  
"Hey, Tsukki, that's enough." Yamaguchi said, hesitating.  
"Yeah, why don't you just listen to Yamaguchi here, huh? He has more sense than you." Hinata said.  
Tsukishima shrugged. "Well, I can't argue with that."  
_Though he's as dense as you,_  
was what he didn't say.

* * *  
"Hey, Hinata, I'm going over to your house later, alright?" Kageyama asked stiffly.  
Hinata looked at him in surprise.  
After Kageyama's argument with Tsukishima, Daiichi had made them all eat, with the promise of 40 flying falls, if they didn't stop it _now._  
.  
Just Daiichi's tone made them stop, and eat, after a few "intimidating" stares from Kageyama and Hinata, and a few smirks from Tsukishima.

They hadn't brought up the subject of the argument since then.  
Well, not until Kageyama brought it up.  
"Sure! If you want to." Hinata said.  
"It's ok. I need to make sure you're ok for the upcoming match, anyway." Kageyama coughed awkwardly.  
Something in Hinata's eyes shifted, then he smiled. "Of course! How would you win the match without me?"  
"Dumbass." Kageyama said, rolling his eyes.  
"Well, I better tell my mom that you're coming over." Hinata said, getting off the seat a little too fast.  
Kageyama just shrugged. "Sure."

Of course, Tsukishima saw this, but this time he felt no need to comment.  
_People are so dense. ___  
He thought, shaking his head.

"Hey, hey Tsukki, what are you thinking?" Yamaguchi asked, looking at him.  
"Just about how some people are pretty oblivious when they're involved." Tsukishima answered smoothly.  
Yamaguchi looked at the direction of Tsukishima's eyes and saw Kageyama staring at Hinata as he texted.  
Then he looked at Tsukishima.  
 _That doesn't apply to only them, you know. ___  
* * *  
Soon, they had to go back to their respective buses.  
They parted with goodbyes, smiles, waves, some threats (from Oikawa, of course), and some bets. (From Tanaka, Nishinoya, Hanamaki and Matsukawa.)  
Just then, Kageyama remembered something, and stopped Oikawa in the lobby.  
"Um, Oikawa-san." He said, in a low voice.  
"Hmm? What is it, Tobio-chan?" Oikawa asked, slightly wary.  
"Have you-I mean, do you-well," Kageyama started.  
"Just say it." Oikawa said, impatiently.  
"Um, have you and Iwaizumi-san made any progress?" Kageyama asked.  
If Oikawa had been drinking something, he would have spit it out.  
Though, his face made up for the lack of drink.  
"Wh-wh-what makes you say that?!" Oikawa demanded, his face warm.  
"No, I don't mean to pry, but I need some advice." Kageyama said, fidgeting.  
Oikawa's mind started to clear a little.  
"Ah, shrimpy-chan?" He asked.  
It was Kageyama's turn to turn red. He nodded stiffly.  
"Ah." was all Oikawa said.  
What could he say? He hadn't exactly made _progress ___  
with Iwaizumi; well, he got called more names now, if that was called progress.  
He decided it didn't.  
"Um, we haven't exactly made progress, but it's only a matter of time." Oikawa said, rubbing his neck, and looking off to the side.  
Kageyama didn't seem to find this weird, and nodded.  
"Ok. But, do you have any advice on how to confess?"  
Oikawa, sadly, was drinking water to calm his nerves, and _this time ___  
he spits it out.  
A few drops land on Kageyama's shirt, but Oikawa is spluttering too much to apologize.  
"Um, uh, c-confe-confessing?" He stammered.  
Kageyama nodded, confusedly.  
"I mean, you know that you like him, right? So, isn't the next step confessing?"

_____Actually, when you find out that you like him, you keep it hidden behind fake smiles, and just hide it away forever. Who said anything about confessing? ___  
Oikawa nodded instead.  
"Yeah, I had a perfect plan for confessing actually! I just don't know if it'll work with you, because I have this whole thing planned out." Oikawa babbled.  
_Yeah, actually, I was kind of hoping Iwa-chan would just notice my feelings, and confess first? Heheheh... ___  
"Oh. Well, I would appreciate it if you could tell me later. I'm going to his house actually, so maybe you could just text your plan to me?" Kageyama asked.  
_What plan? My non-existent plan for confessing to Iwa-chan? Yeah, that totally exists! ___  
"Um, sure! I think I have your number here." Oikawa said, looking hurriedly at his contact list.  
Yup, it was still there.  
Iwaizumi had made him put Kageyama's number there, in hopes that he and Oikawa would "communicate better."  
"Oh, what's yours Oikawa-san?"  
Oikawa told him, then waited for Kageyama to be done typing it in.  
"Well, that's that then! I'd better go, I mean, I think Iwa-chan's calling for me?" Oikawa said, laughing nervously.  
"Sure. Thank you Oikawa-san!" Kageyama said, bowing then leaving.  
Oikawa waved, then dashed outside. 

_________________Iwa-chan, are you happy now? I communicated with my kouhai. And it almost killed me. ___  
* * *  
In Karasuno's bus, Hinata looked at Kageyama curiously.  
"Why is your shirt wet?" Hinata asked.  
"Oh, Oikawa-san spit out his water, and it landed on me." Kageyama said, without thinking.  
"What?!" 


	6. Bro codes, whispering, and rule 519

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Tanaka looked at Nishinoya humming to himself, he knew he was up to something.  
> Well, he was always up to something, but this time looked different.  
> It looked like he was actually thinking of success.  
> And any plan of Nishinoya's succeeding was enough to make Tanaka excited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that I haven't updated in a while.. and there's really nothing else to say, except.  
> I AM SORRY.  
> Now, please read, because I would just keep you here with my apologizing about 9 days or so without me posting...  
> (Oh, and I transfer between "Aoba Jousai" and "Seijou", here, sorry. Just can't decide which one I like better...)

Seijou's bus ride home was quiet to say the least. Everyone was sleeping, still tired from the match that they did last night.  
Except for Oikawa.  
He was gripping his phone so tightly, his knuckles hurt, and he kept glancing at it, like it would deliver his death.  
Or maybe Iwa-chan would do that for it, if he knew what he and Kageyama had talked about.

Oikawa was still slightly seething over what Kageyama had said.  
_How dare my kouhai question my progress with Iwaizumi._  
He fumed.  
Oikawa was fuming, but he knew that he had to make a move soon.  
He _had ___  
comforted Iwaizumi, but they had ended up comforting each other after. And, wasn't it rude to make a move on Iwaizumi just after their loss? Oikawa was a coward, but he didn't want to hurt or burden Iwaizumi further.

The look on his face, back when the match was over, it practically screamed anger.  
But not at his team, never at his team, or even at Karasuno... no, the anger was directed at himself.  
And Oikawa hated it.  
He hated Iwaizumi feeling anything bad about himself, and he wanted to take away that pain, take away all the anger, all the sadness, all the burden and responsibility.  
Oikawa would gladly take a share of all these negative emotions if it meant that Iwaizumi would be ok.

Then he jumped as a hand was placed on his arm.  
"Oikawa?" A sleepy voice asked.  
Oikawa was trying so damn hard not to think about how hot Iwaizumi's sleepy voice was.  
He was failing. Miserably.  
"Ah, hey Iwa-chan!" Oikawa said, using a bright and cheery tone.  
"What's wrong?" Iwaizumi asked.  
Oikawa internally sighed. Of course Iwaizumi would notice. He always did, after all.  
"Nothing. Just thinking." He said, which was the truth, or half of it, anyway.  
"About?" Iwaizumi asked, rubbing his eyes with his left hand, his right still on Oikawa's arm.  
(Oikawa hoped that Iwaizumi wouldn't notice it.)  
Or maybe Iwaizumi's hand was doing things to his mind, because Oikawa took a chance, and said, "You."

A long pause.  
"Huh?" Iwaizumi said, intelligently.  
He turned to look at Oikawa.  
And his face was so tired, that Oikawa couldn't bear to continue what he was thinking.

"You know, if you're ok and all from last night's match!" Oikawa said, smiling.  
Then, softly, "You were straining yourself yesterday, you know."  
Iwaizumi stared at Oikawa for a while longer, then shrugged. "Well, I scored points anyway."  
And it was true. Most of the points they got were from Iwaizumi's spikes and receives, saving the ball so that other people could spike it.  
"You did too." Iwaizumi pointed out.  
"Yeah, but not as much as you." Oikawa said.  
"I can rest tonight anyway." Iwaizumi said, closing his eyes.  
Then, when Oikawa thought that Iwaizumi was asleep, he said, "I'm still coming over to your house later, Trashkawa."  
And Oikawa risks a real grin this time.  
"Sure, Iwa-chan."

And he can wait. 

* * *  
Kageyama, however, can't.  
He's perfectly still on the outside, listening to Hinata ramble on and on about pork buns, and volleyball strategies, and Natsu, but not necessarily in that order.  
"Hey, do you know what I could go for? A pork bun. Natsu likes them too, but she still can't finish two big ones. Oh, and did you see that spike I did last night? That was good, we should work on that! Oh, and your setting was as good as ever! Maybe we can go for pork buns on our way home." Hinata chattered.  
Kageyama nodded, his mind keeping track of what Hinata was saying, while his heart was doing somersaults in his chest.  
He was interrupted by Hinata pushing his face in front of his.  
His poor heart almost leaped out of his chest.

"Kageyama?' Hinata aksed.  
"What is it, dumbass?" Kageyama asked, and internally praised himself on his carefully neutral tone.  
"You weren't answering." Hinata said.  
_Answering what? Because I really love y- pork curry with an egg on top._  
"I was thinking about volleyball. Sorry." Kageyama said.  
"Ah. What about it?" Hinata asked, still not moving his too close (But not close enough) face.  
_You, mostly. When you spike, when you look at me, when you call for a toss..._  
"Strategies." Kageyama answered.  
'Ah. Well, we can work on that later. Anyway, I was wondering if you'd like to drop by the store later, to buy pork buns? I want to bring some home for my mom and Natsu too." Hinata said, finally pulling his face away, and settling back down in his chair with an "Oomph."  
"Ah, sure. Race you then?" Kageyama said.  
He didn't have to ask, really. Though, it was a nice routine for them.  
"Of course. Loser buys pork buns!" Hinata said.  
Kageyama accepted.  
He would accept anything Hinata said, but his competitive spirit was back, and there was no time for sentimentality in racing.

* * *  
Meanwhile, a few aisles back, Tsukishima was surprisingly asleep.  
Yamaguchi knew that Tsukishima, even though he had complained for a full hour about the match last night, how it would tire them out, how it was idiotic and foolish, still gave his all.  
And Yamaguchi fought along with him.

Now, looking at Tsukishima's face, not scrunched up in a frown, or moved in a smirk, but just smoothed out, sleeping, mouth open slightly, you'd think he would look more open or even peaceful, yet his face still looked so closed.  
Yamaguchi always wondered why.  
_Were there things that Tsukki still troubled about in dreams?_  
Possibly.

Actually, no. Knowing him, the answer was "Yes."

Yamaguchi sighed.  
"If only I could read your mind, Tsukki." He said, softly.  
And Tsukishima, being Tsukishima heard him.  
And if he was sappy, bold, or even foolish, he would say, "But you already have my heart."

Unfortunately Tsukishima wasn't any of those things, so the thought remained only in his mind.

* * *  
Throughout all these sentimental moments, Tanaka Ryuu was asleep.  
But, unfortunately, Nishinoya was not.  
He knew there were pairings to be found in Karasuno, and even, in Seijou.  
So, hopefully, the material he had gotten would be put to good use.  
"Good use" of course meaning, "GET THE FREAKING HECK TOGETHER ALREADY."

Yup, good use.  
He had to wait for his partner in this devious scheme, though.  
The partner that was currently drooling.

New blackmail material!

* * *  
Daiichi, was having by now, a "daddy sense."  
Meaning, nothing good.  
And Sugawara sensed this.  
But he let Daiichi figure it out by himself.

"Sugawara, I have a bad feeling." Daiichi started.  
"Hmm?" Sugawara said, prompting him to continue.  
"Well, I don't know why, but it makes me want to scold someone. Do you think it's Nishinoya?" Daiichi asked.  
"Nishinoya? As far as I know, he's-" Sugawara started.  
Then, was startled by a loud scream.  
"Tanaka." Both of them said at the same time.

* * *  
Tanaka didn't like waking up with a phone lens 2 inches from his face.  
So, he did the appropriate reaction, according to Rule 415 in his rule book made by him and Nishinoya, the "Bro Rules."  
Rule 415 states that "Any action that startles one of the two manly bros can result in manly screaming."  
And he did just that.

* * *  
Nishinoya, sadly, couldn't stop laughing.  
So by the time Daiichi and Sugawara had walked up to them, Tanaka had successfully woken everyone up.  
And Nishinoya was making things worse.  
"Your face-pfft- your- you- you-pfft-Ryuu, you-pft-I can't even-" Nishinoya said, between bouts of laughter.  
Tanaka glared at him. "Rule 415, bro."  
Nishinoya suddenly sat up straight, and offered Tanaka his hand.  
Tanaka grabbed it and slapped Nishinoya's face twice with it.  
Then, he bumped the top of Nishinoya's head with his own hand, and did a series of complicated hand gestures and movements.

When it was over, Daiichi said, "Finished?"  
"Sorry, that was our punishment for laughing at the bro code." Nishinoya said.  
"Bro code?" Daiichi asked.  
"Yeah, you know, the bro code." Tanaka said.  
Daiichi just shook his head.  
"Do I wanna know why you screamed Tanaka?" Daiichi asked.  
"Bro code." Tanaka and Nishinoya said, together.  
Daiichi looked about ready to scream, so Sugawara took over.  
"Just make sure to be quiet, alright? Bro code or not, we're about to get back to Karasuno anyway." Sugawara said.  
Tanaka and Nishinoya nodded. "Osu!"  
Sugawara brought a ranting Daiichi back to his seat.

"Mom's great." Nishinoya said.  
"Yup. He knows just how to calm Dad down." Tanaka replied.  
They sat in silence for a while.  
Then, Nishinoya called, "Hey, Asahi, want to learn the bro code?"  
A chorus of "shut up!" greeted him.  
"Sorry, Nishinoya, not now." Asahi's timid voice said.  
"No prob, Asahi!" Nishinoya cheerfully answered.

"Rule 12?" Tanaka asked.  
"Asahi's opinion matters the most, except when he's being a coward." Nishinoya recited.  
"Which would make you angry." Tanaka said, nodding.  
"I respect Asahi." Nishinoya defended.  
"Yeah, 'cause he has more sense than the both of you combined." Tsukishima's taunting voice came.  
"How'd you hear us?" Tanaka demanded, annoyed.  
Even if they couldn't see him, they could practically hear him rolling his eyes.  
"Your regular voices are pretty loud, you know." Tsukishima said.  
"Like, shouting loud." Yamaguchi added.  
"Yeah? Well-" Tanaka said, about to challenge Tsukishima to a fight.  
"Whatever." Nishinoya said.

Tanaka looked at him, surprised.  
Nishinoya just shook his head, and smiled. And hummed.  
As Tanaka looked at Nishinoya humming to himself, he knew he was up to something.  
Well, he was always up to something, but this time looked different.  
It looked like he was actually thinking of success.  
And any plan of Nishinoya's succeeding was enough to make Tanaka excited.

"What's the plan, bro?" Tanaka whispered.  
"Rule 519." Nishinoya whispered back.  
"519?" Tanaka asked.  
"The master plan." Nishinoya said, nodding.  
"Oooh, that one!"

(Tsukishima didn't even bother telling them that their whispering was louder than their shouting. They wouldn't listen anyway.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what did you think? Please leave a comment if you want to discuss about the fanfic, or just rant about the pairings. =)


	7. Tanaka is out of the loop, Nishinoya's just chilling, Oikawa is useless, and everyone is dense

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Hinata chewed, Kageyama started getting self conscious again.  
> What was he supposed to do? What was he supposed to say?
> 
> Just then, his phone beeped.
> 
> 4:50 P.M.  
> From: Oikawa-san  
> Message: If you're wondering what you're supposed to say, don't. I'm pretty sure chibi-chan will speak up soon.
> 
> Sure enough he did.  
> "So, Kageyama. When we get home, want to play video games first if my mom isn't done making dinner?" Hinata asked, tiny crumbs spewing out of his mouth.  
> "Sure." Kageyama said.
> 
> Hinata started humming.  
> And Kageyama quickly typed a "Thanks."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoop, new chapter! =D  
> I hope the KageHina, TsukkiYama, and IwaOI is fluffy and good enough for Tifa_channn, and Noya, Tsukki, Yama, and IwaOi good enough for Ang397. =)
> 
> As a side note, please refer to the title, while I share something with you:  
> Oikawa is useless. Completely. Useless. But you guys probably know that already. XD  
> Anyway, hope you guys like it!

As soon as Karasuno's bus stopped at the gym, Kageyama and Hinata bolted.  
Or, at least, tried to.  
Daiichi held on to their shirts, and said, calmly, "Alright, where are you going?"  
"To the store to buy pork buns." Hinata said, his legs waving in the air.  
"What are you going to do after?" Daiichi continued.  
"Probably practice until Hinata drops on his face." Kageyama said, standing calmly.  
"HEY! I won't!" Hinata said, annoyed.  
"You will so."  
"Will not! Bet you do first!"  
"Just be quiet." Daiichi started.  
"What'll you give me if I don't?"  
"Uh, pork buns?"  
"Hinata." Daiichi said.  
"How many?"  
"One?"  
"Three."  
"Kageyama.." Daiichi warned.  
"Nope!"  
"You're so going to fall on your face."  
"Ok, ok, three!"

"Shut up!' Daiichi yelled.  
"Please." Sugawara added.

Thankfully, they did.  
"Just go home, practice, and make sure not to over do it. Ok?" Daiichi said.  
"OSU!" They both said, and bowed.  
"And, good job on the match." Daiichi said, smiling slightly.  
"Ah, no, than-It was because of-"Kageyama stammered.  
"Thank you! You too!" Hinata finished for him.  
"Now, go on. Right now." Daiichi said.  
"Osu!"  
And they ran off into the sunset together, pushing each other.

"Man, how dense can they get?" Tanaka whispered to Nishinoya.  
"Dude, I know right?" He said, nodding sadly back.  
"Those idiots were so damn loud." Tsukishima grumbled.  
"Aw, did you wake up from your beauty sleep?" Tanaka mocked.  
"Hey, Tsukki was tired!" Yamaguchi defended.  
"Please just shut up, Yamaguchi." Tsukishima said, yawning.

A pause.  
"Woah, did he just say please?" Nishinoya couldn't refrain from asking.  
"Dude, he so did! Damn, we should have recorded that!" Tanaka said, sighing.  
"Um, Tsukki? Are you feeling all right?" Yamaguchi asked, worriedly.  
He put his hand on Tsukishima's forehead, which made him turn red.  
"There's no temperature, but your face is red. Maybe we should get you home." Yamaguchi said, concerned.  
"Yeah, take him home for us, willya Yamaguchi?" Nishinoya said, grinning.  
"Oh, just shut up." Tsukishima said, annoyed, face still red.  
"Come on, Tsukki." Yamaguchi said, bringing him out of the bus.

"Well, guess that's good enough for a good day's work." Nishinoya said, stretching.  
"Huh? What do you mean, bro?" Tanaka asked.  
"I'll explain on the way home." Nishinoya assured.  
"Crashing at your house? Hope you have chips!" Tanaka said, whooping.  
"Asahi, come on. You too." Nishinoya said, pulling him along.  
"Won't I just be a bother to you guys?" Asahi protested.  
"Nope. And we'll even practice volleyball later, so come on!" Nishinoya said, stubbornly.

As they vanished off, Daiichi and Sugawara stood staring at them.  
"Well, that could have gone worse, I suppose." Sugawara suggested mildly.  
"I guess it's the best I could hope for." Daiichi grudgingly said.  
"So, shouldn't you be going home now too? You need to rest, you know." Sugawara said, worriedly.  
"I'll be fine, Sugawara." Daiichi said.  
"Daiichi. How can you expect the kids to look up at you when you're setting a bad example?" Sugawara demanded.  
"Um, kids?" Daiichi asked, weakly.  
"I said, guys. Didn't you hear me?" Sugawara asked, immediately.  
Daiichi flinched slightly.  
"Ok, ok, I'm going home. See ya, Suga!" Daiichi said, waving, then hurried off.  
Sugawara huffed.

"So, what are you doing sticking around, Suga?" Coach Ukai asked, still seated.  
"Nothing actually. I just wanted to talk with you a bit. You know, signals and strategies for the upcoming match." Sugawara said, without turning.  
"We can do that tomorrow. You have to rest too, we need you on the team." Coach Ukai said, reprimanding him.  
Sugawara suddenly turned around, and grinned.  
"Ah, yeah, thanks! Osu!" He said, bowing and thanking both him and Takeda, then dashing off.

"You really have a way of complimenting Sugawara that you're unaware of." Takeda said, chuckling.  
Both of them watched the retreating figure of Sugawara, and Coach Ukai sighed, then smiled.  
"I guess I do. But I meant it."

* * *  
After successfully buying the pork buns, Hinata bragged that he had gotten there first, with Kageyama denying him every step of the way.  
"Kageyama, just face it." Hinata said, patting his back, and talking through a mouthful of pork buns.  
He rolled his eyes. "Hinata, just swallow. I don't need to see what you're chewing."  
Hinata took no notice, and just stuffed another one into his mouth.  
As Hinata chewed, Kageyama started getting self conscious again.  
What was he supposed to do? What was he supposed to say?

Just then, his phone beeped.

4:50 P.M.  
From: Oikawa-san  
Message: If you're wondering what you're supposed to say, don't. I'm pretty sure chibi-chan will speak up soon.

Sure enough he did.  
"So, Kageyama. When we get home, want to play video games first if my mom isn't done making dinner?" Hinata asked, tiny crumbs spewing out of his mouth.  
"Sure." Kageyama said.

Hinata started humming.  
And Kageyama quickly typed a "Thanks."

* * *  
So, how did Oikawa know that his "dear" kouhai was in need of something to say?  
Simple.  
Because he was having the same problem himself.

They had just got off the bus, with Hanamaki and Matsukawa disturbingly quiet, (He would have to talk with them soon, if he remembered), and was walking home with Iwaizumi.  
In silence.  
Usually he would have a lot of things to brag about, or rant about, and Iwaizumi would just listen, and occasionally add something to what he was saying.  
But now, every time he started to say something, he'd turn, and Iwaizumi would have this far off look, like he was thinking about something.  
Then, Oikawa got lost in his face, and-  
Oikawa groaned.  
Out loud.

"What's the matter, Oikawa?" Iwaizumi asked.  
"Nothing, Iwa-chan! Just, you know, thinking!" Oikawa said, grinning.  
Iwaizumi stared at him, unimpressed.  
"That's a fake grin, and your tone is weird. Seriously, what's up?" He asked.  
Oikawa groaned internally this time.  
Iwaizumi could always read him, but sometimes it was to his disadvantage.  
"Well..." he hesitated. "I was just wondering what I'm gonna make for us to eat when we get home!" He said, cheerily.  
Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow. "You're not cooking. Ever. You're not allowed to even go near the kitchen."  
"Iwa-chan, it's my house!" Oikawa mock protested.  
"Just knowing that it's your house, and you have no qualms of burning it down because of your atrocious cooking, makes me even more worried." Iwaizumi said, seriously.  
"Atrocious? Oh, you're just exaggerating again!" Oikawa said.  
"You're still not allowed in the kitchen." Iwaizumi said.

They walked on in silence.  
Oikawa was trying to content himself with the quiet, when Iwaizumi spoke up again.  
"I'll buy you some milkbread tomorrow, alright?"  
Oikawa grinned.  
"For breakfast? Why, Iwa-chan, you shouldn't!"  
Iwaizumi punched him half heartedly on the arm, and Oikawa laughed.  
_Yeah, I don't have to worry about things to talk about. We've always known what to do anyway, haven't we?_  
* * *  
In Tsukishima's room, Yamaguchi was insisting that Tsukishima should rest, because Yamaguchi would be along tomorrow, for practicing.  
"Well, what are you going to do?" Tsukishima asked stubbornly.  
"Practice a bit. Then, I'm going to rest too. And, probably devour everything that we have at home." Yamaguchi said, casually.  
Tsukishima just grumbled.  
Yamaguchi shook his head and laughed.  
"Look, I'll buy you strawberry shortcake tomorrow, alright? Now, go to sleep." He said, smiling.

As he turned around, Tsukishima blurted, "You've improved you know."  
Yamaguchi stopped, frozen.  
"I mean, of course you have. You've worked on your serve a lot of times. It's your receiving now that needs some help. It's not as bad as Hinata's-, actually, no, forget that. Hinata shouldn't be a reference." Tsukishima continued.  
He was stopped by Yamaguchi laughing.  
"Sorry, Tsukki, but that was really unexpected." He chuckled.  
Then he turned around and smiled.  
"Thanks Tsukki."  
And left.

Tsukishima stood there, staring at the door, and thought that Yamaguchi was growing.  
And he was glad no one was there to see him smile.

* * *  
Tanaka shivered.  
"I'm picking up sentimentality and really obnoxious people on my radar." He said.  
Nishinoya grinned.  
"All part of the plan."  
"But dude, the feeling's like, really sticky, and dripping, and crawling.." Tanaka said.  
"Bro. Don't worry, I'll fill you in when we get home." Nishinoya said, casually.  
"Oh, and Asahi, can you make dinner for us?" He asked, voice suddenly excited.  
Asahi shrugged.  
"Sure." He said, smiling softly.

Tanaka shivered.  
"It's back again, bro!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, let's just say that everyone is dense. That's all there is to say. =)  
> As you have already noticed, I'll try to update soon, but that might take some time. =/  
> Anyway, hope you guys liked it! =D


	8. IwaOi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oikawa knew he had this whole bravado thing going with Kageyama, but, honestly, he wan't so sure that now was a good time to admit it to Iwaizumi.  
> Of course, he could comfort him if he started breaking down, then be all smooth about it, resulting in him falling in love with him...  
> But, preferably, Oikawa never wanted Iwaizumi to break down.  
> He might sound sappy in saying that, but this was one of those rare times when he was actually sincere.  
> Oikawa had been comforted by Iwaizumi a lot of times, and very, very, rarely had the vice versa occurred.  
> It wasn't so great seeing the one you loved crying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Emotions ahead! Proceed with caution. 
> 
> So! This chapter took some time! I humbly apologize. '=-=  
> Please don't get so excited by the title. Oikawa doesn't confess or anything, but I think this is a good part for reflecting on his and Iwaizumi's friendship, even with their tension. =)
> 
> Thank you Ang397, Tifa_channn, and zntkilledme for commenting! They really helped me force myself to finish this chapter today!! Thank you for you kind comments and suggestions! I hope I didn't disappoint with this chapter!
> 
> NOTE:  
> This chapter is focused on IwaOI. The next one will focus either on TsukkiYama or KageHina.
> 
> That's all. Please read, and I hope you guys enjoy. =)  
> Thank you also to everyone who's reading this fanfic this far!! You guys are amazing. =D

Oikawa knew he had this whole bravado thing going with Kageyama, but, honestly, he wan't so sure that now was a good time to admit it to Iwaizumi.  
Of course, he could comfort him if he started breaking down, then be all smooth about it, resulting in him falling in love with him...  
But, preferably, Oikawa never wanted Iwaizumi to break down.  
He might sound sappy in saying that, but this was one of those rare times when he was actually sincere.  
Oikawa had been comforted by Iwaizumi a lot of times, and very, very, rarely had the vice versa occurred.  
It wasn't so great seeing the one you loved crying.

Oikawa groaned, and buried his head in his hands.  
"Oikawa? You alright?" Iwaizumi called.  
"Just fine, Iwa-chan!" Oikawa replied.  
"Alright. Just get out of there soon, so you can help with the table!" Iwaizumi said.  
"Sure. Of course!" Oikawa said, cheerily.  
Silence.  
Oikawa sighed. He was safe.  
At least for a little while.

Then, the cramps came. Sitting on the top of the bathroom lid was tiring.  
How long could he stay in the bathroom without looking suspicious? He wondered.  
Then he banged his head on his knees.  
Seriously me? Where has my dignity gone?

Then he sighed.  
His dignity had already gone long before, at the moment when he met a certain Iwaizumi Hajime.

* * *  
"Finally out, I see." Iwaizumi commented, already seated.  
"Shut up, Iwa-chan." Oikawa said, pouting.  
"Anyway, you can sit down now, I handled the table setting. You looked troubled, so just sit down and relax. I already handled dinner, so there's nothing left for you to burn." Iwaizumi said, shrugging.  
Oikawa was torn between being touched, and being annoyed.  
"You were doing so great with the sentence, then you just ruined it." Oikawa groaned.   
"Yeah well, just eat. You look tired." Iwaizumi said, waving his hand at him.

Oikawa glanced at the table layout.  
There was ramen, and noodles, agedashi tofu, and even pizza.  
"Wow, we're really going to be dining tonight, huh Iwa-chan?" Oikawa said, grinning.  
Iwaizumi rolled his eyes.  
"Just eat."  
  
They sat in silence for awhile.  
Oikawa started with the ramen, sipping slowly.  
"So." Iwaizumi began. "I was thinking."  
"You're just gonna hurt yourself, you know." Oikawa teased.  
Iwaizumi stared at him, pointedly. "Says the person who always pushes himself too much."  
"At least I have a reason. If I get hurt, or land in the newspapers, you know what the headlines would read? "OIKAWA TOORU STUCK IN HOSPITAL BECAUSE OF PLAYING VOLLEYBALL." Sounds much better than "IWAIZUMI HAJIME GETS A TUMOR FROM THINKING TOO MUCH." Oikawa said, twirling ramen around his fork.  
Iwaizumi stared at him blankly. "That didn't make any sense at all. Please tell me you're not thinking of landing in the hospital. The payment would be too high."  
"That hurts Iwa-chan." Oikawa whined. "Do you not care at all?!"  
"Not really." Iwaizumi said, chewing slowly. "Wanna know why?"  
"Is the reason bad for my health? Because then, I don't want to know." Oikawa said, stubbornly.  
"First of all, you are self-destructive, loud, annoying, whiny, clingy, stubborn-" Iwaizumi listed.  
"Bad for my health, bad for my health!" Oikawa said, covering his ears.  
"-noisy, and have a very bad habit of not listening to people who know better. You also give a lot of fake smiles, and keep breaking people's hearts. I swear, I have no idea what girls see in you." Iwaizumi said, shaking his head.  
"Health hazard! Vital signs dropping!" Oikawa said, voice rising dramatically.  
"And also very dramatic." Iwaizumi said, rolling his eyes.  
"Are you done listing all my faults?" Oikawa asked, sarcastically.  
"Wait. Quick to change moods, and sarcastic." Iwaizumi added.  
"Oh are you done? Don't mind me, I'm just here, slowly dying from the insults from his best friend." Oikawa said, dryly.  
Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. "I was going to list the positive ones now, but I think you're too busy bleeding from imaginary insults. All the things I said were true you know."  
"Yeesh Iwa-chan, ever heard of sensitivity?" Oikawa asked, wincing.  
"Anyway, as I was saying." Iwaizumi said, ignoring Oikawa.  
  
"You're also hard working, when you're not being self destructive, concerned, when you're not being self centered, and real, when you're not being fake. You can be so absorbed in talking about volleyball, then also be so concerned with other people's well being. You also complain a lot, but when asked to do something, you do it, and you do it with all your effort. You keep giving fake smiles to your fangirls, but the simplest things make you smile for real. Though, there are also a lot of things that scare you like insects and bugs, which is pretty funny." Iwaizumi said, chuckling.  
Then he looked at Oikawa and smiled. "You don't pity me when I'm feeling down, but instead support me. You're quick to take control of the situation, and you never give up on something if you really want it. There's been a lot of times when I look at you and wonder why you try so hard. Then, we start competing against Shiratorizawa, or Karasuno, or anyone else, and I understand why. It's because there's really no other option, right? And I envy you sometimes, because I feel like I can't keep up. How do you keep up with someone with all that emotion?"  
He paused for awhile.  
Oikawa sat there, not even daring to blink or breathe. He wanted to reach out, but it took all of his willpower to let Iwaizumi finish.  
  
Iwaizumi shrugged. "The answer is you don't."  
"But," Iwaizumi said, his voice firmer, "you also give me a reason to keep trying. Because I want to be on the same stage as you. It's selfish, but years of hanging around with you has rubbed off on me. And even if I still replay the last minutes of the match in my head, wanting to do better, I don't want to be a burden to you, or to the team. So, I'm gonna keep practicing, keep spiking, keep working on my receives, and I'm going to study hard. And, if I feel that I have progressed somewhat, I want to do volleyball with you again. I hope you let me, because I won't let you say otherwise."  
Oikawa stared at him. "What-" He said, his voice cracking.  
Tears started pooling in his eyes. "What makes you think I would ever say no?"  
Then, Iwaizumi grinned, but he was crying too.  
  
* * *  
After somehow controlling themselves, Oikawa managed to smile. "I hope you didn't say all that just because we lost."  
"I think I'd say it even if we won. Though, slightly different." Iwaizumi said, smiling back.  
"How different? Because I wouldn't change anything you said. Though, if I had known about how you felt sooner, I would have changed the part about your insecurities." Oikawa said, frowning.  
"As much as I'd want you to erase all of those "insecurities", they were what helped me say what I said." Iwaizumi said, shrugging.  
"And I'm proud of you because of that." Oikawa said, before he lost his nerve.

A pause.  
"I know." Iwaizumi teased.  
Oikawa wanted to say something then, but he felt it would be pale to Iwaizumi's declaration. So he said the only thing he could.  
"We can start practicing tomorrow after studying." Oikawa offered.  
"You sure? I mean, real studying all right? Not just forcing yourself to." Iwaizumi said.  
"Yeah, I know! I will! You're not the only one who can study!" Oikawa said, firmly.  
Iwaizumi laughed. "Yeah, I know."  
Then, he smiled. "Thanks Oikawa."   
Oikawa reddened. "No problem."

_Anything for you._

  
* * *  
A few hours later saw them watching an alien documentary.  
Oikawa's choice, of course. Iwaizumi had already fallen asleep, not caring anymore about the documentary.  
Oikawa sadly, found his attention torn between Iwaizumi and the movie.  
Remembering what Iwaizumi had said earlier had really shocked him. He wondered if that was what it was like for Iwaizumi when he was stopping Oikawa from overexerting himself.  
Then he shook his head. Iwaizumi was stronger.  
_But was he really?_ was the stubborn thought tugging at the back of his mind.  
_How many times have you practiced on school nights, way past closing hours? How many times have you stayed up late, watching the same game over and over, and memorizing their strategies? How many times have you pushed yourself, and how many times has he caught you?_  
Too many times.  
  
Oikawa sighed, and looked at Iwaizumi's sleeping face.  
Highlighted by the TV, it had a light tinge to it. It also looked more relaxed, and Iwaizumi's usual forehead lines, (the ones he used when he was annoyed or thinking), were gone. He looked so peaceful.  
"I wish you could look like that every day." Oikawa said, softly.  
_More than that, I wish_ I _could make you look like that._  
Oikawa smoothed Iwaizumi's hair, and sighed. _Someday. I'll do something that will take away all of your worries. Something that will make you as proud as I am now. As I've always been of you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, this was filled with emotions.  
> Feel free to rant at me, or to comment, or to demand a faster update. I'll try my best. =)


	9. KageHina

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND, here we go again!  
> LATE update, LATE chapter, but hopefully, a good story anyway?  
> Anyway, this one's centered around KageHina. (And, I actually  
> I was wondering whether I should put TsukkiYama first, but nah, I thought it would be funny to compare Oikawa's experience to Kageyama's.
> 
> Oh, and thank you to Ang397 for commenting! I really appreciated it. =D
> 
> Umm, should I put a warning here?  
> Fluff ahead? Maybe? =p  
> Oh, and Hinata being way too cute for Kageyama to handle. =3

If Kageyama had seen what was happening in Oikawa's house at that time, he'd probably be taking down notes.  
As it was now, he was too busy arguing with Hinata to do anything other than scowl.  
"Look, I just want a rematch, what's so bad about that?" Hinata whined.  
"You said that 5 games ago! You already beat me a few times anyway!" Kageyama pointed out.  
"But the score's 17-12 games! In your favor! Come on! Just 6 more games for me to get ahead!" Hinata insisted.  
"Why would I want to do that? What if I like my score?" Kageyama asked, annoyed.  
"Come on! You always beat me when you come over! So, if I win the next 6 games, and get ahead, it'll mean that our practice later is gonna go well! Possibly even our match against Shiratorizawa! Don't you want to win against them?" Hinata demanded.  
Kageyama blinked. "How did we get from game points to the match against Shiratorizawa?"  
"It's just logic! If I get ahead, then it'll boost my confidence! Then, the practice will go well. Then, since I'm feeling good, we'll win the match! Then, that'll give me even more confidence! And, we'll probably go on to international competition! And championships!" Hinata said, who by the middle of his speech was standing up on his bed and waving his arms and grinning.  
Kageyama, who was on the floor, blinked up at him.  
He knew he was supposed to argue with that, but it was kind of hard not to be in awe of someone who put together two completely unrelated things to create something amazing. (Excluding the fact that it all boiled down to boosting Hinata's self confidence.)

Before he could speak, though, Hinata's mom poked her head in Hinata's room.  
"Food's ready." She announced.  
"What is it?" Hinata asked.  
"Your favorite. For winning the match yesterday." She said, smiling.  
"Tamago Kake Gohan!" Hinata cheered.  
"And Hinata dear, please fix the sheets when you're done jumping. I just changed them." She said, then left.  
Hinata quickly jumped down.  
"Quick! Kageyama, grab the bottom two corners! Now!" Hinata said, grabbing the first upper corners of his bedsheet.  
"Why?" Kageyama asked.  
"So that we can fix it faster! Quick!" Hinata said, tapping his foot impatiently.  
Kageyama got up, and grabbed the bottom two corners.  
"So, when I say lift, lift and spread, alright?" Hinata said.  
Kageyama nodded.  
"Spread! Annndddd... lift!" Hinata said.  
They did so at the same time.  
Kageyama watched as HInata's orange bedsheet gently spread over the bed.  
Hinata smoothed the remaining wrinkles when it had landed, and looked at his bed.  
"Perfect! Now, let's eat!" Hinata said, cheering, and dashing out of his room, Kageyama following close behind.

* * *

"So, Kageyama, feel free to eat whatever you want. Hinata told me that your favorite food is pork curry with an egg on top, though?" Hinata's mom asked.  
Kageyama nodded, feeling bewildered with the amount of food laid on the table. There was ramen, which Hinata's mom and Natsu were eating, tamago kake gohan (Which was egg and rice), and pork curry with an egg on top. And there were five bowls each of them.   
Hinata's mom noticed Kageyama staring at the food, and she smiled kindly. "Get as much as you want, dear. Hinata and Natsu will eat what's left."  
"Mmh! Go on, don't be shy! Mom makes the best food!" Hinata said, grinning with his mouth full.  
"Dear, close your mouth. And I'm sure Kageyama's mom makes good food too." Hinata's mom said, but she looked pleased with herself.  
In fact, Kageyama's mom left the cooking to Kageyama, because she left for work hours before him.   
He didn't complain though, and just started sampling some of everything.   
  


Soon, he was stuffing his face.   
Only after eating two bowls of pork curry, one of tamago kakae gohan, and one bowl of ramen did he start apologizing.  
The Hinata family didn't mind though.   
Hinata, having successfully eaten three bowls of tamago kakae gohan, two bowls of ramen, and one bowl of pork curry, grinned.  
"See? Told you mom's food was the best!" He said, proudly.   
Kageyama couldn't help agreeing. He started thanking HInata's mom for the meal.  
"It was my pleasure." Hinata's mom said, smiling.  
"So, Kageyama, would you like to stay over?" She asked.  
Kageyama paused.  
Would he? He usually came over, but just to practice volleyball. Coming over like this, eating dinner, playing volleyball, and staying over... It felt like more than he could ask for.  
As Natsu was sneaking her hand into Hinata's bowl, as Hinata was tugging it back out, as Hinata's mom was looking at her children with affection, Kageyama already knew what his answer would be.  
  
* * *

"Sweet! I can't believe you're staying over!" Hinata said, bouncing on his bed.  
Kageyama rolled his eyes at Hinata's enthusiasm. "I've come over a few times before, remember?"  
"Yeah, but it was always to play volleyball! Volleyball's fun and all, but now we can do more stuff! Like play video games, and volleyball, and discuss about the volleyball match before, and play volleyball, and-!" Hinata babbled excitedly.  
"You do know that you mostly listed things that have something to do with volleyball?" Kageyama asked, staring at him.  
Hinata shrugged, and grinned sheepishly. "Well, video games don't count. Plus, volleyball's important. We still have an upcoming match and everything."  
"Then, what do you want to do first?" Kageyama asked, because  how could he argue with that?   
"Anything." Hinata said.  
  
Two hours later found them arguing, yet again, about who had the highest scores.  
"Look, earlier you won 5 games, and I won 6! That clearly makes my score higher than you!" Hinata insisted.  
"What about the games we played earlier, before your mom called us to dinner? I won 17 games and you won 12! Add that with the 5 I got, and that makes... my score higher than you!" Kageyama said, getting too annoyed to count up the 17+5 properly.   
Hinata, eager to prove he was smarter than Kageyama, said, "That makes it 22 games for you and 18 games for me! Just 5 more games, and i'll be ahead! Come on!"  
And Kageyama, instead of arguing, just nodded. "Fine."  
  


5 games later...  
"Ok, so we won two games each, and the 5th was a draw. That makes it..." Hinata said, thoughtfully.  
"24 games for me, 20 games for you, and one draw." Kageyama said.  
"Can't I get the draw? That'd make my score a point higher!" Hinata whined.  
"Stupid, the point of a draw is that it goes to no one!" Kageyama scowled.  
"Who're you calling stupid, Bakageyama?" Hinata pouted.  
"You dumbass!" Kageyama said, annoyed.  
Hinata huffed.   
And Kageyama tried not to think about how cute Hinata looked when he was pouty. He looked like a child.   
Well, Hinata always looked like a child, so that probably didn't seem different.   
"How about we play again tomorrow before I leave? That'll give you a chance to catch up." Kageyama suggested.  
"Ooh, sure!" Hinata said, grinning again.  
  
And Kageyama tried hard not to think about how he'd rather see HInata smiling than pouting, even if it was cute as heck.  
And that's when he decided that Hinata was dangerous to his health.  
  


* * *  
Just before falling asleep, Kageyama glanced down at Hinata.  
Kageyama had said that he was fine with sleeping on the floor, but Hinata had insisted he take the bed, as it was the only proper thing to do for a guest.  
So here he was, lying down on Hinata's bed, and he couldn't sleep.  
It was probably because he was lying down on Hinata's bed, which smelled of him. Whenever he rolled over, he could catch a whiff of it.   
Hinata's shampoo, which smelled of oranges, his soap, his clothes which smelled a bit like egg and rice...  
Kageyama groaned out loud, part from exasperation, and a bit from how good it smelled like.  
Hinata shifted.  
Kageyama froze.  
He lay still for a while, hoping that he hadn't waken Hinata up.  
Glancing at his phone, he saw that it was 1:00 P.M.  
Hesitating, he started typing a message to Oikawa-san.  
Just as his thumb pressed the SEND button, something hard hit him.  
Thump!  
Glancing down, he saw that Hinata had... miraculously climbed over the bed and was now sleeping next to him?  
"Dumbass. Go back to your own bed!" Kageyama hissed, his face red.  
No answer from Hinata.   
When Kageyama prodded him, Hinata rolled onto his back. He was asleep and drool was coming out of his mouth.  
He looked so peaceful, and Kageyama didn't want to disturb him.  
Kageyama sighed, and got down. Maybe he could just fall asleep on the futon...

 

Thump!

Apparently not.  
This time Hinata was clinging to his arm, and his soft orange hair was tickling Kageyama's arm.  
He couldn't help it.   
Kageyama started patting his head. It was as soft as he'd always imagined it to be.  
And just then, Hinata nuzzled his face against Kageyama's arm.  
Kageyama froze.   
Hinata looked like a ball of orange fluff, clinging to his arm like that.   
Kageyama suddenly felt protective of him.  
"Don't worry. I'll always be here." Kageyama whispered.  
  
Just then his phone blinked.  
Squinting, Kageyama read the message.  
____________________________________________________________________________________________  
From: Oikawa-san  
Subject: Hi-yo!  
Message: Kageyama-kun, you aren't doing anything bad to Chibi-chan, now are you? \\(o A o; )/

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Then a minute later,

_______________________________________________

From: Oikawa-san  
Subject: Hehehe

Message: Just kidding! (* `V `)/   
Have fun with Chibi-chan! Don't stay up too late!

________________________________________________

 

Kageyama was suddenly reconsidering deleting Oikawa's number.   
As soon as he confessed to Hinata, he swore.  
Then, he sent a text of his own.

_____________________________________________________

To: Oikawa-san  
From: Kageyama  
Subject:

Message: HInata's latched on to me. What do I do? 

______________________________________________________

And he sent a picture.   
Satisfied, he closed the lid, and settled down to sleep.

 

                                                                                                                                         

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, that bedsheet thing that Hinata said might sound weird to you guys, and well... I'm torn between apologizing and laughing out loud.  
> Maybe both? XD  
> But I'll apologize straightaway if you want me to. =)
> 
> (I suck at emoticons. I apologize. T^T )

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure if I should end it here, or make another chapter. What do you guys think? 
> 
> (And I'm SO sorry if this was short or boring, I tried editing it until I couldn't think of another outcome, but if you want me to continue this, I'll focus on how each of them is affected by their defeat, and how they survive it, I swear. And I'll add in Karasuno somewhere, so be prepared for Hinata bowing numerous times, each of them feeling guilt, yet also euphoria, and pairs happening. Comment if you want to see Oikawa taunting Kageyama about his relationship with Hinata, but only because he can't make a move on Iwaizumi.)


End file.
